Modelling the anti-herpes simplex virus activity of small cationic peptides using amino acid descriptors

Abstract

There are a number of diseases associated with herpes simplex virus infections, and although there are available treatments, there is still a need for new therapies. Some peptides have proved to have an antiviral effect, but the high flexibility and complex mode of action makes it difficult to obtain reliable quantitative structure-activity relationships. In this article, we report on the use of theoretically derived amino acid descriptors for the modelling of peptide activity as a mean to find lead compounds based on biologically active peptides. Copyright Blackwell Munksgaard, 2006.